Where are Our Graduates?

David Guggenheim
MBA, 2010

The MBA program at the University of Illinois Springfield allowed me to push myself beyond what I thought were my limits, and it was here that I learned of my desire to become a management and information systems educator and researcher. The professors at UIS convinced me that I could operate at the PhD level, and it was through their encouragement and guidance that I ultimately embarked on the pursuit of a terminal degree.

A large number of my fellow classmates were business professionals which added depth and variety to all of my coursework, and because of the sense of community instilled by UIS, we remain friends to this day. I fondly think of my time at UIS as one of life’s momentous turning points, one in which I discovered who I am and what I am capable of achieving.

Katherine Shaffer
MBA, 2016

Midway through the MBA curriculum I had earned a graduate certificate in Business Process Management. I started to share ideas with my boss and mentor about how our organization could benefit from becoming more process-centric. I then presented these concepts during strategic planning meetings which resulted in establishment of a Business Process Improvement program that I now manage.

As a member of the senior management team at the University of Illinois Chicago, Division of Specialized Care for Children, I find it invaluable to have the broad base of business knowledge built up through my MBA coursework. It has given me the tools I need to work collaboratively with my colleagues and meaningfully contribute to the mission of my organization.